1. Field of the Invention
One aspect of the invention relates to a method of assembling a refrigeratable beverage container holder and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a beverage container holder having an inner cup press fitted into an outer foam cup wherein the annulus therebetween is filled with refreezable fluid. Another aspect of the invention comprises an improved beverage container holder having an outer foam cup and an inner cup which includes a radially extending flange slightly larger in diameter than the inner foam cup having an inwardly and downwardly extending edge which may be tightly interference fitted within the foam cup inner walls.
2. History of the Prior Art
It is conventionally desirable to consume most beverages such as soft drinks and particularly beer in a chilled state. Containers of such beverages are thus stored in refrigerated areas such as refrigerators, ice boxes or ice chests for sufficient periods of time prior to consumption to lower the temperature. Beverages such as soft drinks are often emptied from their containers into glasses or cups filled with ice to afford maximum chilling during consumption. The taste of most soft drinks is not rendered totally unpalatable by diluting water produced by the melting ice, however, ice cannot be added to beer or ale due to the watering effect and the undesirable taste resulting therefrom. For this reason, beer is usually stored in refrigerators where the temperature is relatively low. Additionally, other means have been used such as placing the beverage in very thin, highly thermally conductive aluminum and steel walled cans to enhance the rate and extend to which a beverage may be cooled from an ambient temperature. Unfortunately, conventional refrigerators are not always kept at a temperature whereby the beverage is suitably chilled, regardless of its container, to a point near that of freezing. Unless the consumer wishes to place the beverage can or bottle in the refrigerator freezer to suitably chill it, a beverage such as beer is normally served "cool" but not "chilled". But neither beer nor soft drinks can be left in the freezer unattended since both would eventually freeze. For this reason, beer and many soft drinks are consumed directly from their containers in a less than desirable, partially chilled state.
The desirability of consuming beverages in as nearly a chilled state as possible has prompted the development of apparatus to insulate a chilled beverage container from the environment during consumption of the beverage. One such device of contemporary popularity is a beverage can holder comprised of a suitable foam material such as expanded polystyrene molded into an insulative cup configuration suitable for receiving a beverage can therein. Usually, a plastic ring is provided at the top of the insulative cup whereby the beverage can is disposed centrally therein with a dead air space therearound. The combination of the foam insulation characteristics and dead air space comprise a suitable means for maintaining the chilled condition of the beverage for some extended period of time. Such insulative cups, or beverage holders, are especially popular out of doors where an uninsulated beverage container will quickly absorb heat from the environment.
Certain problems exist with the aforesaid prior art "dead air" beverage holders. The beverage must initially be chilled. Once the beverage container is removed from its chilling environment it can only get warmer, and the insulated beverage container only retards this inevitable result. Aggravating the warming trend is the fact that the conventional beverage containers which are quickest to chill, i.e. those made of thin walled thermally conductive material, are also the quickest to get warm. Beverages in glass containers warm somewhat slower in an ambient temperatured environment than aluminum, but not much. It may thus be seen that most all container materials have a relatively high rate of thermal conductivity to permit rapid cooling of the beverage in a refrigerator but which also operates to afford rapid heat absorption into the beverage once the container has been removed into an ambient temperature environment for consumption. It is therefore desirable to provide a low cost beverage holder which overcomes the aforesaid problems wherein a beverage in its original container can be consumed over an extended period of time at a constant and desirably chilled or cold temperature.
The prior art has provided refrigeratable beverage holders in various embodiments; however, such known embodiments are heavy, cumbersome, relatively expensive mug or stein-like devices. For example, one such device is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,428, issued on Feb. 7, 1977, therein illustrating a mug-shaped device for keeping cool a beverage in a container. The device of that invention is designed to receive beverage containers of various diameters and provides spring means for securing a snug contact with the walls of various sized beverage containers and although somewhat effective in cooling said beverages, is relatively expensive, heavy, cumbersome, bulky and mechanically complicated in comparison with conventional foam "dead air" beverage can holders.
An additional prior art refrigeratable beverage container holder comprising a considerable advancement over the aforesaid prior art embodiments is that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,374 to Moore et al and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The container holder of Moore et al comprises a foam outer cup which receives a plastic inner cup therein and a freezable refrigerant fluid therebetween. It is important to note that the structure shown and described by Moore et al be assembled in various conventional manners; however, it is most advantageously manufactured in accordance with the improved inner cup structure and method of manufacture set forth in the present application. The improved inner cup structure of the present invention comprises a radially extending circumferentially disposed flange portion being embedded in the foam material of the outer cup to assist in sealing the region between the inner and outer cups with the tongue portion. During insertion of the inner cup into the outer cup a compression effect is created much as the same as a piston reciprocating within a cylinder. To compensate for the compression of fluid within the annulus formed between the inner and outer cups the elastomeric properties of the outer cup permit its complemental expansion to accommodate the increased volume of liquid and gas. This increase or expansion, may or may not be visually perceptible initially, but proper sealing of the juncture between the inner and outer cups and achieving a stable internal pressure make it preferable to release this compression prior to receiving the layover of the outer ring. In this manner, the outer cup is permitted to return to its original unstressed, unexpanded, condition prior to packaging and use.
The present invention provides an inner cup structure having a radially extending flange of a diameter slightly greater than the inside diameter of the foam outer cup. The radially extending flange includes a sharp peripheral edge for being embedded into the inner wall of the foam cup and an inwardly and downwardly tapering conical region for ease of press fit insertion into the foam outer cup.
The method of the present invention is especially adapted for assembling the inner cup into the foam outer cup of the aforesaid Moore et al patent by providing a process of pressure equalization and insertion support during the assembly steps. The bottom face of the outer cup is supported by a disc member prior to insertion of the inner cup and, once the inner cup is inserted into the outer cup, the compressed fluid and air is vented or "burped". Burping is performed by the application of an intermediate flexing force to the side wall of the outer cup applied in such a manner as to cause relative movement between the outer cup and inner cup across the juncture of the sealed juncture. It is preferable to perform the burping operation manually by utilizing two hands. One hand may be used to squeeze or pinch the upper portion of the outer cup to form an area of reduced stress upon the inner cup while the lower portion of the outer cup is squeezed to effect the "burping" of the compressed fluid therein. It is also preferable to fill the annulus of the inner and outer cup with no more fluid than is necessary wherein a small air gap is created prior to burping. In this manner air is released during the burping operation rather than fluid which reduces the cost of cleaning the assembled unit prior to packaging.